ACTIVITIES to commemorate the 2013 armed Forces Remembrance Day have started with the Federal Government promising better deal for ex-servicemen even in retirement.
The Minister of State Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada at the press briefing to kick-start the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Thursday in Abuja, said the Federal Government "would ensure that all that all what we have in the pipeline for our ex-servicemen" would be done.
Before reeling out the plans of Government to impact the lives of the retired officers in this year's briefing, Agbeja-Obada said the President would launch the Appeal fund and emblem with the intention of getting Nigerians to give "material and financial support to the families of the fallen heroes as well as the veterans who survived the various military operations", but are hobbled or handicapped by incapacitating injuries and need restorative and rehabilitative coping assistance.
The briefing attended by the Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, Service Chiefs, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, the leadership of the Legion and a representative of the National Security Adviser, underscores the importance of the commemoration ceremony which is celebrated world wide on November 11 annually, in honour of ex-servicemen and women who died during various military engagements particularly in the 1st and 2nd world War as well as other military operations in Nigeria and abroad.
The Minister of State, who is also the acting Minister of Defence, reiterated that the 2013 budget would take care of the pension arrears of the ex-servicemen.
